
Old Country Road Elementary School fifth graders in Hicksville recently participated in The Memory Project by sending positive messages through drawings and art to children in Nigeria.
The intent of the exchange is to promote intercultural awareness, break down cultural and geographical barriers, and inspire creativity through the universal language of art. This is the fourth year the school’s art teacher Melissa Butler has coordinated the project with her art students. Special thanks to the PTA for their donation for participation in the project. This year, 60 students from three classes created meaningful messages of kindness to share. “The students were happy to create their individual art pieces and know that something they did in class will bring a smile to another student who lives so far away,” said Butler.
The Hicksville students wrote their first name and age on the back of the artwork, attached a photo of themselves, and traced an outline of their hand. This allows all participants to see the child with whom they are exchanging art, and to symbolically touch hands across the world.
The Memory Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating global kindness through art. It is a Global Art Exchange program where American students exchange heartfelt artwork with children from countries that are culturally very different from the USA.

Old Country Road Elementary School fifth grade students recently participated in The Memory Project by sending heartfelt messages to children in Nigeria.

Hicksville fifth grade students proudly show their artwork they created to send to children in Nigeria.